Consider the following statements: According to the Mountbatten Plan

1. The Union of India and Pakistan were to be granted freedom not later than June 1948.

2. The Legislative Assembly of Sindh was to decide whether it wanted to join the Constituent Assembly of India or not.

3. Baluchistan was to decide whether it wanted to stay with the Indian Union or become separate.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Solution

In May 1947, Mountbatten came up with a plan under which he proposed that the provinces be declared independent successor states and then be allowed to choose whether to join the constituent assembly or not. This plan was called the ‘Dickie Bird Plan’. The important provisions of this plan were: • British India was to be partitioned into two dominions – India and Pakistan. • The date for the transfer of power was to be August 15, 1947. Hence statement 1 is not correct. • The princely states were given the choice to either remain independent or accede to India or Pakistan. The British suzerainty over these kingdoms was terminated. • The legislative assembly of Sind would decide whether to join the Indian constituent assembly or not. It decided to go to Pakistan. Hence statement 2 is correct. • A referendum was to be held on NWFP (North- Western Frontier Province) to decide which dominion to join. NWFP decided to join Pakistan while Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan boycotted and rejected the referendum. There is no such choice for Baluchistan. Hence statement 3 is not correct.